Gloucestershire-based Metalwash (www.metalwash.co.uk) has set up a new service — the Metalwash Launderette — that will collect and clean almost any type of old or used metal component and return it to the customer ‘as new’.

One of the first people to use this service was Paul Bailey, who runs Aviator Art from a hangar at Cotswold Airport. He saw the potential of turning an exhaust pipe from a 1980s BAe 146 jet into a glass-topped table incorporating a central champagne and ice bucket. The pipe had a high build-up of ingrained carbon, which is where the Metalwash Launderette came in.

Mr Bailey said: “It was perfect timing. Just when I needed a solution to my cleaning problem, I had a call from the company — and a few days later, I had a beautifully clean and shiny jet pipe.” Michele Turley, who manages the new service, said: “The work we do for Aviator Art is interesting and rewarding. Paul’s table looks fabulous, and it is just one example of how we can apply our technology to the cleaning and restoration of virtually any metal part.”

Metalwash was established in 1995 by James Marshall (picture). It now has service depots in Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Cumbria, Yorkshire and Bedfordshire. Its client list includes Siemens, Tesco and Scania.